Danny Baker should be sacked immediately

Sparklefizz I have had disagreements with Gonegirl on another thread, and I don't agree with some/most of her comments on this one, but I do think you're wrong to condemn her for linking to the original tweet. It's obvious that some were commenting on here without any first hand knowledge of the tweet. I read things such as "superimposed a chimp head on the baby" "one of the couple" in the photo with the chimp "was black" These are so totally inaccurate and likely to escalate feelings. In my opinion the tweet was racist, and needs to be seen in order to discuss it properly. It's not like anyone has to open the link if they prefer to discuss without full knowledge. ( but I do think the second reference comes across as a bit childish)

Maryeliza

Yes fair enough.

I can’t really understand anyone commenting on a tweet unless they have looked at it.

How could you?

Oops posted too soon.

Surely it’s the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and staying in an echo chamber?

^Repeating other people's offensive messages on social networks could end with you having your collar felt. That's according to the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, who says, "You retweet, you commit the offence."

The Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC made clear his stance on retweets during a discussion on the policing of social media, when he was asked, "Is it an offence to retweet something grossly offensive?"^

For any excuse he may give, think about the opportunities he could have had doing the same to William and Kate saying it was a media circus using the same picture. But he didn't, so why Megan and Harry? I think the answer is obvious.
I cannot understand in this day and age, why high profile people do this sort of thing and wonder why there is a backlash.

Sparklefizz quaking in my slippers now. Oh no. Wait. - I linked to some newspaper articles. Up before the beak tomorrow. Think not.

DB's later tweet quite interesting.

"Once again. Sincere apologies for the stupid unthinking gag pic earlier. Was supposed to be joke about Royals vs circus animals in posh clothes but interpreted as about monkeys & race, so rightly deleted. Royal watching not my forte"

Who is the racist there? The tweeter, or the interpreter?

Gonegirl It's not clever though, is it, although for some reason you seem to think it is.

It's also not kind, not thoughtful, not nice, not what anyone would want to have done to them or their grandchildren.

Maryeliza made a point of not reposting it when she started this thread. If people wanted to see what it was, it's simple enough to find online.

Gonegirl YOU believe he meant it harmlessly, the majority of people disagree with you - cannot you accept that?

DB says it was "supposed to be a joke". Bullies always say it's just banter when they are called out for something. Sometimes they even criticise the recipient for not being able to take "the joke".

However, reading online it seems that the majority agree that it was a horrible crude racist comment.

The majority of people on Gransnet I think you mean &Beckett*.

Sf what's not clever? Do you mean linking to the picture? I didn't mean it to be clever. Just helpful to posters who hadn't seen it.

I think DB is digging himself into an even deeper hole by the minute.

He didn't know it was Meghan that had given birth, all he heard was Royal baby, Royal baby. My reply would be what planet does he live on that the last couple of weeks of intense speculation about the birth had passed him by. How many Royals did he think were due to give birth at this time? Has he not read a paper, watched TV, heard a radio during this time?

Someone told him the baby's mother was mixed race so he immediately deleted the tweet. So that tells us that he could see it was racist, otherwise why delete it?

He'd post similar about any famous person's baby, including his own grandchildren. Anybody able to link to such a tweet. Seems odd to me that as far as I know this is the first time he's found it necessary, and yet Katherine and William have given him three previous chances.

No, I’m pretty sure that the majority of people generally prefer not be racist in any way, shape or form Gone - it’s not limited to GN.

Tbh I had never heard of this person before today. Clearly not missed much!!

I do not for one moment believe that DB didn't know what he was doing. He has a long history as a paid motormouth radio presenter who loves seeing just how far he can push things before he is sacked. As a result he has been sacked from multiple shows including once for inciting violence.

He has a strong connection with football as a sports journalist and lifelong Millwall supporter and as such he knows exactly the racist connection between a monkey and racial abuse. This has been discussed in football for the past 30 years at least and the abuse of black players by making monkey noises, monkey images and throwing bananas (as in go back to the jungle). The use of monkey imagery and racial abuse in football has been in the news, including the BBC main news several times in the past month.

He must have known all of this and yet still decided to post the image with a caption relating to the royal baby. He thinks he is hilarious and it will all blow over as this is what has happened all the previous times he has been sacked.

Spot on Cold

Yes, spot on Cold

Why oh why wear a cap in the house? He first appeared bare-headed in dressing-gown then, in another photo, indoors wearing a back to front cap then talking on the step wearing yet another cap.
He's old and behind the times. A dinosaur.

...and I can't for the life of me understand why he thinks his explanation of Royals/circus would hold water.
He's simply a foul-mouthed ranter.
I hope it's a long time before he's offered any employment.

My money is on LBC or Talk radio

Sparklefizz

I think you are getting mixed up between private tweets and a newspaper report

Sparklefizz You are right - I have often been told "it was just a joke" or "you have no sense of humour" when objecting to racist comments. Like DB, these were just bullies who tried to make excuses when challenged about their behaviour

His explanation doesn’t actually make sense but he was a famous drunk so I am guessing that hasn’t helped.

Maryeliza

Possibly LBC or talk as they do have a huge range of both guests and presenters from David Lammy to julia Hartley brewer to Anna Soubery.

However I think he may have overstepped their marks myself.

Will be interesting to see but what a stupid Ratner moment and far more unpleasant.